Raise your hand if you have “Cabin Fever”!! For those of us in Ohio we haven’t seen the sun in more days than we care to count and my obsession with it’s arrival is hedging on the verge of OCD! Ha! I know many of you would ask why with 2 ½ feet of snow on the ground that I would tempt the fates to start writing about putting in my garden, or anything having to do with gardening at all. Well, I guess it is the old fave “If you build it they will come…”
March is right around the corner and YES, here in NE Ohio that still means the possibility of more snow and the warmth of spring so far off that I dare not mention it for the possibility of jinxing myself. However I am busy planning my garden and learning so much about how to garden within the bounds of my landscaped yard. I’m also learning about gardening in “sessions”, starting with the cold loving veggies that can be placed in the ground as soon as the snow cover clears. The very idea of starting to see fresh lettuce and greens growing makes me dizzy with joy! Next would be the many veggies that I can grow together using the permaculture method of growing. Not to mention the wonderful compost that has been “brewing” since this last summer. The possibilities are endless and the prospect of getting my hands back into the dirt have me giddy with hope.
However I know that not everyone has the space or time to plant their own garden, so I wanted to address this by providing you with some wonderful alternatives. For those of you who do not have the space to grow your own garden, or live a schedule not conducive to growing your own food have I got the answer for you! Now is the time to start looking into getting together with your local food co-op’s, or community CSA’s (Community Supported Agriculture) which you would buy into and then reap the rewards of whatever is grown through out the season. These have become increasingly more popular in the past few years. CSA’s, unlike Co-op’s do not require you to participate in the working of the garden / farm in order to reap the rewards. You purchase a “Share” in the CSA and the cost varies by the CSA. Then you will find out where your local pick up location and time is, this is where you will go pick up your bag of fresh veggies and fruit through out the season. What a wonderful way to provide the freshest produce available for your family if you cannot take the time, or do not have the space to grow your own garden. To find local CSA’s nearest you please visit: http://www.localharvest.org/csa/ and simply enter your zip code to search for your local CSA’s. Co-op’s may be more difficult to find as they are a group of people looking to work equally in the endeavor of gardening. Many co-op’s can be found through you local garden clubs, or through word of mouth and sometimes even at your local garden centers (not the big box stores, just the local stores) with these options you can overcome special and time issues and still look forward to fresh produce from the garden!
If you have any problems finding a local CSA or Co-op please leave a post, as it is my wish that this season we all start eating the best of the best produce available. Like I’ve said before…there is nothing like the taste of a sun drenched tomato!!!
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